FIVEFOLD

FIVEFOLD is my debut novel. When people ask me what it’s about, I tell them it’s a mystical thriller set in the United Kingdom. If that draws a blank, I mumble something about ruins and a secret society. Inevitably the conversation turns to Dan Brown. It’s at this point that I mention the supernatural elements drawn from the Kabbalah, and the blank look tends to return.

FIVEFOLD was first published by Random House Australia in January 2008, and then as an e-book in June 2011. It was also translated into Russian and re-titled Code Kabbalah. Here’s the back cover blurb:

November 1308, Yorkshire Dales: a cathedral is deliberately burned to the ground by its Abbott to hide a religious artefact from foreign invaders. But like most secrets, it hasn’t stayed buried long enough.

Present day: James Steepleton is in trouble again. Fined £5,000 for driving under the influence of alcohol, he’s broke and destined, it seems, for a six month stint in gaol unless he can find the necessary funds. His old study group from university— Elise, Ashvin, Morgan and Eric—rally together to raise the money. Not far outside the Yorkshire town of Skipton, the group stumbles across the ruined cathedral and a journey into myth and legend begins.

What secret lies buried beneath the ruined church? Why do the five friends suddenly manifest strange gifts? And who are the Lords of Severity that are remorselessly hunting them down?

The mysterious Order of the Brightening Dawn holds the answers, but uncovering the truth will strike at the very heart of what it is to be human.

The wheels of history turn and it is time for the Fivefold Cabal to rise again.

You can read a preview of FIVEFOLD—and purchase the e-book—from the following locations:

WORKS IN PROGRESS

My second novel is called The Hidden Keystone and it’s a historically based fantasy. This book is currently with my agent. Here is a brief synopsis:

The Hidden Keystone

July 1099—Jerusalem: navel of the world, crucible of spirituality, and a city under siege.

Sweltering in the merciless heat, the ragged survivors of the First Crusade finally breach the ancient walls of Jerusalem. Concealed within the ranks of Duke Godefroi de Bouillon’s triumphant army are members of a secret fraternity called the Salt Lines. Led by Hugues de Payens—Godefroi’s personal Chaplain—the Salt Lines are seeking an artefact known only as the Keystone.

Ancient records suggest the Keystone can be located by conducting a ritual at the Holy Sepulchre. Yet when Godefroi and Hugues finally enter the ruined church, they discover it may require more than they’re willing to give to possess the Keystone.

October, 1307—Champagne: stronghold of the Salt Lines and spiritual heart of the Cistercian Brotherhood known as the ‘white monks’.

On a chilly October evening, Bertrand de Châtillon-sur-Seine observes a silent, solitary vigil as part of taking his vows as a knight of the Brotherhood of the Temple of Solomon. While kneeling before the altar, a strange, glowing tree appears in the stained glass window. Bertrand is seized by masked assailants and given an ultimatum: either join the Salt Lines or remain forever ignorant of the true purpose of the Templar Brotherhood.

Bertrand is given little time to decide before being woken in the middle of the night upon the orders of his Preceptor. The brother-knights quietly dress for battle and depart the Commanderie via a secret tunnel. The small contingent escorts two cloaked strangers, one of whom holds the secrets to the hidden Keystone.

My third novel is tentatively titled House of the Half Moon. This is the first book in a new Fantasy series called The Desécratum Cycle. Check out the Updates page for more details.